Voting-machine



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VOTING MACHINE.

N0. 533,315. Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

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VOTING MACHINE Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

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J. MOTAMMANY. VOTING MACEINE.

No. 533,315. Patented Jan. 29,1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MOTAMMANY, OF SPENCER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,315, dated January 29, 1895. I

Serial No. 610,679. (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MOTAMMANY, of Spencer, in the county of Vforcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinVoting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a voting machine employing atally-sheet and arranged for recording party ticket-votes rather than votes for individuals, and in conjunction with the recording devices is supplied with provisions for preventing repeating and for guarding against fraudulent manipulation, and also for preserving the secrecy of the ballot.

A machine embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Figurelshows a plan View of the machine. Fig. 2 shows a similar View, with the cover and tally-sheet removed. Fig. 3 shows a central longitudinal section looking in one direction. Fig. 4 shows a similar section looking in the opposite direction. Fig. 5 shows a section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

The letter a designates the exterior casing of the machine which is constructed to receive and support a removable cover 1) formed with panels b to hold cards 0 on which the names of candidates are inscribed, each card bearing the names of candidates of one party. The machine here shown is adapted for three of these cards; but the invention may be embodied in a machine adapted for more than three party tickets. The cover is confined in the casing by turn-buttons b on the casing and arranged to extend over the cover. The cover is provided with perforations to receive the punching devices hereinafter described, and there is a set of perforations d for each ballot, and also perforations din the portions of the cover intervening between the panels. I prefer to provide a plurality of the perforations d for each ballot, in order to insure accuracy of the count. The extra perforations d are to receive punching devices which record votes in the negative or affirmative on some question, as that of license.

Within the casing at opposite ends thereof are supported two rollers e and e, from one of which the tally-sheet e is unwound and upon the other of which said sheet is wound.

Guiding rollers 6 hold a stretch of the tally sheet against the under side of the cover, so that said sheet may be seen through the perforations in the cover. 9 has affixed on one end a feeding ratchetwheelf engaged by a pawl f which is actuated in a manner hereinafter described, to turn the roller step by step. The opposite end of said roller 6 carries a ratchet f engaged by a pawl f which prevents backward movement of the roller.

A series of rectangular frames g are pivotally supported within the casing and extend horizontally under the tally-sheet, said frames being movable up and down, and there being one foreac'h ballot. These frames have upstanding pins g to punch holes in the tally-sheet, and enter the perforations d in the cover. Two additional frames 9 are pivoted concentrically with two of the frames g and embrace the same and carry pins g to punch holes in the tally sheet and enter the perforations d in the cover.

Three shafts h are journaled in opposite sides of the casing, and extend under the frames g respectively, and they have aiiixed to them cams 71/ on which central cross-bars 57 0f the frames rest, so that upon turning the shafts through acomplete revolution the frames will be raised by the cams and lowered by their own gravity. The front ends of the shafts protrude from the casing, and are screwthreaded to receive cranks 72. by which to turn them. Locking means are provided to prevent turning of any of the cranks after one of them has been turned through a complete revolution, as follows: A slidet' is supported in guides t" fastened to the inner wall of the casing, and said slide carries upstanding arms t in the path of laterally-projecting pins 2' on disks 2' affixed to the shafts it. These disks are notched to form shoulders 2' and the slide icarries pivoted detents i for engagement with said shoulders. When any one of the shafts h is turned, the action of the pin 2' on its disk 2' against the arm 2' standing in its path, carries the slide to the left, as the parts appear in Fig. 1, and takes the detents 1' into position forengagement with the shoulders By this action, all the cranks are locked. A pivoted detent j, by engagement with a notch in the under side of the slide, holds the lat- The Winding-onrollerter in looking position against the stress of a spring j tending to retract it. The detentj is tripped through means under control of the supervisor or other authorized person, as will presently be described.

In conjunction with the above described devices, I employ means for striking a bell 7o whenever one of the cranks is turned, as follows: A slide on in guides m on the wall of the casing is equipped with upstanding arms m in the path of pins m on disks m affixed to the shafts 7L. A pivoted bell-striker m is arranged with one end between pins m on the slide m, and the latter is actuated by a spring 777, in a direction to throw the striker toward the bell. The turning of one of the shafts carries the pin m of its disk m against the arm m standing in its path, and thereby the slide is moved against the stress of the spring and the striker retracted until the pin passes the arm, when said spring returns the slide and throws the striker against the bell. The disks m are toothed, and engaged by pawls m which prevent backward rotation of the shafts.

The frames g areoperated in a similar manner to the frames g, the arrangement being as follows: Two shafts of are journaled in the sidesof the casin g somewhat below the shafts h, and carry cams n on which pendent arms 9 of said frames g rest. The shafts n protrude through the front of the casing and carry cranks n for turning them. Locking meanssimilar to those before described are arranged to prevent rotation of either shaft a after one has been turned, such means comprising a slide 92, having arms 01 standing in the paths of pins a on disks n affixed to the shafts and notched to form shoulders 92 for engagement with detents n on the slide. The

slide is held in looking position by the engagement of a detent 0 with a notch in its upper side, and a spring 0' tends to retract it.

The locking of the three upper shafts (lees not affect the two lower shafts, for one voter is to turn a crank of each set, so as to record his vote for the candidates and also on the question to be answered in the negative or affirmative. At the same time, it is desirable that all the cranks be released at one operation, and to this end the two detents j and 0 are connected by a link 19 which at its lower end is slotted, as at p, to receive a pin 19 fastened in the detent 0, so as to allow either detent to move into engagement with its notch independently of the other. The releasing means comprise a vertical slide q in guides on the exterior of the casing and carrying a pin g which projects through a slot (1 in the casing, so that when the slide is raised said pin will encounter the detentj and raise the same and through the link 19 raise the detent 0. Thus by this one operation both detents may be released from their notches. The detents are so arranged that their weight moves them into the notches when the latter are brought opposite them. The raising of the slide (1 is also designed to feed the tally-sheet along, the pin q extending under a lever 4' which is pivoted on the journal of the roller 6 and carries the pawl j". lVhen the slide is lowered, this lever drops by its own weight and draws the pawl over the next tooth of the ratchet, and the said pawl is weighted to keep it in engagement with the ratchet. The slide (1 is designed to be under control of the supervisor, and inaccessible to the voter. The to tation of the shafts it also strikes the bell, the said shafts carrying disks 3 with pins 3' which act against angular levers 3 whose upwardly extending arms engage shoulders on the slide on.

The performance required of the voter is very simple. One of the cranks 7L2 stands opposite each ballot, and the voter has merely to turn the crank opposite the ticket he wants to vote. The turning of this crank punches the talley-sheet in the manner previously described, and also looks the cranks so that neither that one he has already turned nor the others can be turned. If this voter wants to vote on the question at issue, he turns one of the cranks n and thereby perforates the tally-sheet again, and locks this crank and the other one of the pair. The two cranks n will bear inscription to distinguish them, as

for example, the words Yes, and No, re-

spectively. lVhen the voter has recorded his vote, the supervisor resets the machine for the next voter, and at thesame time feeds the tally-sheet along through the mechanism described.

It will be seen that repeating is effectually guarded against, and also that the internal mechanism is thoroughly concealed so that it cannot be tampered with, and the tally-sheet is also sufficiently concealed to maintain the secrecy of the ballot. At the same time, each voter can readily ascertain if his vote has been properly recorded, by looking into the perforation of the cover.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In a voting-machine, the combination of a casing paneled on its face for the reception of a ballot sheet or card, and perforated through that face; a tally-sheet on carriers within the casin g, said sheet lying close to the inner side of the face-plate at the perforated portion thereof so as to be visible through the perforation; a punch within the casing, movable outwardly to puncture the sheet and enter the perforation in the casing-face; a crank having means of connection with the punch, whereby its turning moves the latter outward; a lock limiting continued movement of the crank; and lock-releasing means arranged to be controlled by the supervisor.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination of a casing paneled on its face for the reception of a ballot sheet or card, and perforated through that face; a tally-sheet on carriers within the casing, said sheet lying close to the inner side of the face-plate at the perforated portion thereof, so as to be visible through the perforation; a hinged frame within the casing and having a punch to puncture the tallysheet and enter the perforation in the casingface; a crank having a cam to act on said frame and move it outward; a lock to limit continued movement of the crank; and lockreleasing means arranged to be controlled by the supervisor.

3. In a voting machine, the tally-sheet and supports or carriers therefor, a plurality of pivoted frames having perforating pins to act on different portions of the sheet, two sets of cranks whose spindles carry cams to actuate the frames respectively, and stop-pieces with projections, a spring-actuated slide for each set of cranks having detents to engage the stop-pieces on the crank-spindles and projections for the projections on said stop-pieces to act against, detents to lock the slides and operatively connected together, a releasing device to trip said detents, and a pawl actuated by the said releasing device to advance the tally-sheet, substantially as described.

4. In a voting machine, the combination of a tally-sheet, supports therefor, recording devices to act on said sheet, two sets of cranks for actuating the recording devices, springactuated slides for locking the cranks, pivotal detents for engaging the slides respectively when they are moved to locking position, a link connecting said detents, with provisions for permitting independent movement of either, and a releasing device to act on one of said detents and through the link connection on the other also, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a voting machine, the combination of a tally-sheet, rollers supporting the same and one carrying a ratchet-wheel, recorders movable toward and from the tally-sheet, cranks having means of connection with said recorders whereby their turning moves the latter against the sheet, abutments for limiting continued movement of the cranks, said abutments being mounted on a common movable support, a detent for holding the latter in locked position, a lever carrying a pawl in en gag'ement with the ratchet-wheel on the tallysheet roller, and a trip operating to displace the said detent and the said lever, and designed to be controlled by the supervisor.

6. In a voting machine, the combination of a tally-sheet, rollers supporting the same and one carrying a ratchet-wheel, recorders movable toward and from the tally-sheet, cranks having means of connection with said record- 'ers whereby their turning moves the latter against the sheet, abutments forlimiting continued movement of the cranks, said abutments being mounted on a common movable support, and the cranks having provisions to move said support to locking position, a detent for holding the support in such position, a trip to displace said detent, and a lever in the path of said trip and carrying a pawl in engagement with the ratchet on the tally-sheet roller.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of April, A. D. 1894:.

JOHN MOTAMMANY.

Witnesses: 0. F. BROWN,

F. P. DAVIS. 

